Oh, summer…despite your easygoing and fun-loving ways, you tend to do a real number on our manes. Don’t get us wrong, we’re willing to forgo beauty for some excitement, but that doesn’t mean we’ll go down without a fight.
During a season where you not only have to worry about split ends coming from your heat tools but the blazing sun, dryness by way of chlorine-filled pools and those irresistible sea-salted beaches, to newly lightened do’s of bright blonde and warm honey hues changing into not-so-flattering shades of green, to the humidity woes that are weighing us all down, we have but no choice than to seek refuge.
Learn how to win this battle against the sun with these 10 natural summer hair care tips!
Protect your head
Heat protectant spray isn’t used solely when the hot tools are out. Spritz your hair with it before stepping outside for added protection. Rock a hat or or a stylish scarf to keep your head covered while you’re out and about. This will help maintain moisture in your scalp, fight off UV rays, and help color-treated hair remain intact.
Products: Argan Oil Thermal Shield Heat Protection by ArtNaturals
Be gentle
It’s been said that we should treat our hair like silk, and with the added wear and tear from the sun, the time to be ever-so-gentle is now. Skip the towel. Grab an old cotton t-shirt to throw your hair in after your shower. Use a wide-tooth comb for detangling and resist messing with your hair until it’s nearly dry. Wear protective hairstyles to bed, like wrapping your hair in a scarf, to prevent further tangling and frizz and the need to style more. You can switch to silk pillowcases, too.
Reduce the heat
Celebrate your natural hair this summer. The season’s breezes are nature’s perfect blowdryer. If you’re headed out, your hair is likely to dry just as fast anyway and without the added damage. No matter what type of texture you have, dry hair always means more frizz and breakage. To combat this, keep added heat at an absolute minimum. Experiment with the many different heatless styles out there, just promise you’ll try to put the flatiron down.
Maintain moisture
From chemicals in the water to triple digit temperatures, our hair is in need of some tender loving care now more than ever. First things first, work with what you already have. Invest in a boar bristle brush. These brushes are best for evenly distributing the natural oils in our hair from root to tip, leaving hair shiny and our scalps happy. Deep condition your hair at least once a week, and invest in a quality leave-in conditioner for severely dry hair. Keep those ends sealed with a quality argan oil.
Products: Boar Bristle Brush by Beauty by Earth; Argan Oil Leave-In Conditioner by ArtNaturals; 100% Pure, Organic Argan Oil by Pura D’or; Unrefined Shea Butter by Better Shea Butter
Say goodbye to swimmer’s hair
For color-treated hair that goes awry after dipping in the pool, rinse hair with 1:8 parts apple cider vinegar to water for a squeaky clean that will wash away discoloration and revitalize your locks. Coating hair lightly with oil before you step in the water will also prevent deeper penetration of your strands.
Products: Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar by Bragg
Skip washes
While it’s tempting to want to wash your hair everyday in the summer, daily washing throws our scalps’ oil production way out of balance, causing it to overproduce oil to compensate for the lack thereof, creating a vicious cycle of needing to wash it more frequently. Aim for wash-day every 2-3 days. Use talc-free powder or a natural dry shampoo to make hair last in between. Trust us with this one; the awkward adjustment period will pay off.
Products: Dry Shampoo by ACURE Organics
Make your own beach waves
Whether you’re actually sitting oceanside but won’t step foot in the water or are miles away in a corporate office somewhere dreaming up your next island vacation, one thing’s for certain: there’s nothing more crave-worthy than those gorgeous, effortless, ocean-kissed waves this summer. Pull out the sea salt, coconut oil, and conditioner to get this look started. For a fraction of the cost, you can make this homemade sea salt spray.
Embrace humidity
I know how this sounds, but it’s crucial in trying to keep your hair right in the summer and goes hand in hand with our last tip. The trick to humidity control is having the right products and smart styling. Dry shampoo works wonders in combating that just-got-out-of-the-shower look and plumps hair back up with volume. Fight nature with nature. Use aloe vera gel in place of traditional hair gel for styling – it’s packed with amino acids, proteins, and vitamins like calcium and potassium. It helps neutralize the scalp, no matter how oily it feels, keeping locks smooth, nourished, and flowy.
Products: Pure Aloe Vera Gel by Aubrey Organics
Wear loose, comfortable styles
Use this time to play around with cute, loose up-do hairstyles and braids that require more grit and hold than freshly-washed, perfectly dried hair. Summer is the time to let go of those perfectly sculpted and polished looks, anyway. The more pressure we take off of our scalp, the less we have to deal with annoying side-effects like thinning edges and dandruff.
Stay hydrated
While products are a big help, true beauty radiates from the inside out. Keep a water bottle handy with you whenever you’re on-the-go and be sure to drink half of your body weight in ounces per day. If it’s hard for you to guzzle down that much plain H2O in a day, try infusing your water with fruit, mint, or cucumber for a refreshing treat!